Multiple panel stencil for tax bills



April 22, 1941.

H. P. ELLIOTT MULTIPLE PANEL STENCIL FOR TAX BILLS Filed April 2. 1940 Har/7700 P. f//fa/f Patented Apr. 22, 1941 ood! un nimm MULTIPLE PANEL STENCIL FOR TAX BILLS Harmon P. Elliott, Watertown, Mass., assignor to The Elliott Addressing Machine Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 2, 1940, Serial No. 327,424

(Cl. lOl- 127) Claims.

The invention relates to address bearing stencils or printing devices, in which the stenciled address panel is removable from the stencil frame for renewal or replacement by another bearing the same or a `different address.

For convenience in showing a practical embodiment of the invention and its many important advantages, it is herein applied to a multiple panel stencil in which an address and accompanying data for the information of the addressee or of interest to him, are contained in separate panels, arranged in such relation that both are machine printed in the same operation.

One of the various uses multiple panel stencils are adapted to serve is to address tax bills and add an accompanying description of the property taxed. While the adoption of such stencil printing of tax bills has become general, owing to the great saving of time and labor over the old practice of typewriting the bills, there is an incidental item of expense in the use of stencils, to which serious objection is made. This expense item results from the necessity of making entirely new stencils in order to change the name and address for each transfer of property to new ownership and, as the description of the property must accompany the new address, it has to be reproduced from the stencil of the previous owner, in the data panel of the new stencil.

This substitution results in the total loss of the old stencil and when, in addition, the cost of making the new one is multiplied by the thousands of transfers of property ownership that are constantly being recorded, the expense runs into alarming figures, to which objection may well be taken.

To meet the situation. as briefly outlined above, I have devised a multiple panel stencil of the type referred to, in which provision is made for instantly changing the contained name and address as often as desired, or whenever required, without in any way damaging or impairing the stencil against continued effective use.

To enable the substitution to be readily made, the panel containing the name and address is removably held in a through passage of the stencil frame permitting withdrawal from either side thereof and leaving the passage open and clear for the insertion of another panel bearing a different name and address. The panel when positioned in the passage is frictionally held throughout its marginal length by and between the two layers of material that make up the stencil.

To avoid objectionably thickening the stencil frame by the inserted name and address panel.

the latter is reduced to so nearly paper thinness that its insertion produces no perceptible bulging or thickening of thev stencil frame, which, to all appearances, continues of uniform thickness throughout.

I am enabled to reduce the panel to practically paper thinness by employing a frame of thin sheet metal as a carrier for the stencil tissue. 'l'he surface of the metal frame to which the stencil tissue is adhesively secured, is specially processed to strengthen the bond, which outlasts the life of the stencil.

The metal frame is sufficiently flexible and resilient to conform readily to the curvature of the cylindrical platen of a typewriter, when the panel is being stencilized and immediately resumes its normal flat form when removed from the machine.

As a frame of such light, delicate structure would tend to buckle and damage the stencil tissue thereon if forced to cut its way through surface inequalities met with when inserted in the cross passage of the cardboard frame, a bodkinlike implement is employed to clear the passage and draw the panel safely into the same.

As an aid in the herein described use, the movable element of the stencil, i. e. the name and address panel, is utilized by being shifted to the right or left in the cross passage, to open or close outer edge notches or apertures in the stencil frame, as a sign indicating that the stencil addressees taxes have been or have not been paid.

A stencil construction suitable for carrying my invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit myself to the same or the particular use the stencil is described as serving, as it is merely illustrative of one of many uses to which the invention, as defined in the appended claims may be put.

In the drawing- Fig- 1 is a face view of the stencil.

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof exaggerated out of true proportion, for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a ydetail section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the parts similarly exaggerated.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation showing one face of the name and address bearing panel.

Fig. 5 is an edge view thereof, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the opposite face.

Fig. 7 shows the frames of the name and address panels, as made in strip form.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the opposite side of the strip.

Fig 9 shows the bodkinlike implement positioned to insert the name and address panel in the cross passage of the stencil frame, and

Fig. is an edge view of the implement partially opened, showing a stencil panel therein.

Referring to the drawing, I represents a multiple panel stencil of a type suitable for addressing and printing a description of the addressees property on tax bills.

Theirame of the stencil is composed of two layers of cardboard or other material 2, 2, secured together by an adhesive indicated at 3. The adhesive is applied to the adjoining surfaces above and below that portion of the frame area included between the dotted lines 4, 4, in Fig. 1, to provide an enterable cross passage 5, between the layers for the insertion of a removable panel I. The panel 6 carries the name and address of a property owner, which appears through the upper window I of the frame.

Below the name and address panel, the frame is provided with a second larger window 8, in which a panel 9 containing a description of the addressees property is permanently secured in any suitable or well known manner.

In line with the cross passage, at opposite sides of the frame, edge notches I0, I0, are formed, either of which may be closed by shifting the removable panel in the passage to the right or left. For this purpose, the length of the panel is made somewhat less than the width of the stencil frame and opening or closing one or the other of the notches serves as an understood sign or signal to the clerical force that the addressee is or is not in arrears for taxes or other indebtedness.

The name and address panel 6 is formed of a rectangular sheet metal frame II, of practically paper thinness, to which the stencil tissue I2 is attached by a suitable adhesive. The sheet metal vfrom which the frames are made is preferably cold rolled steel, known as shim stock that gauges at .004 of an inch or less. This reduction, approaching paper'thinness, serves an important purpose in avoiding any perceptible thickening or bulging effect of the stencil frame when the panel is inserted therein, which, if present, would be highly objectionable, as it would cause trouble in feeding the stencils from the bottom of the stack in a machine magazine and along a track for various machine operations upon them.

Another advantage of employing thin sheet metal frames, each complete in one piece, without joints, bends or other formation requiring special machine operations, is the low cost of production. As shown in Figs. 'l and 8, they are made in strip form by the simple operation of die-cutting the window openings I3, and completing the frames by shearing them one by one from the strip, the width of which equals the length of the frame.

A further step in reducing the cost of manufacture of the panel is to apply the stencil tissue in strip form, as indicated at I4, to the frame strip, after the window openings are formed therein and before the frames are cut from the strip. This simple operation of handling the materials in strip form of substantial dimensions effects a great saving in time and labor over applying small pieces of tissue to the individual frames, as will be evident.

In order to overcome the difliculty commonly experienced in giving permanence to an adhesive bond between paper and metal, the surface of the sheet metal frame, to which the stencil tissue is applied is processed and a special adhesive is employed, as disclosed in my pending application, Serially Numbered 327,423 and filed April 2, 1940.

Owing to the use of such extremely thin metal in the stencil panel frames,l the insertion of the panels in the cross passage of the cardboard frames is at times attended with diliiculty, as slight obstructions are frequently met with therein, such as bits of adhesive, surface inequalities and the like and if the inserted panels are forced to cut their way through the same they will buckle, bend, or break, damaging the contained stencil tissue and rendering it unt for further use.

To avoid this diiliculty, the insertion of the address panels is effected by the aid of a bodkinlike implement I5, shown in Figs. 9 and l0. This implement may be formed of a single strip of metal, slit flatwise throughout the greater portion of its length and provided with a rounded or pointed cutting edge at its solid end but I preferably use two thin metal strips, IB, I6, joined together at the end I'I which is round or pointed and edged as above described.

To insert a panel in the cross passage of the cardboard frame, the panel is placed between the strips I6, I6, of the implement, which are dimensioned to cover all but the end of the panel that is left exposed and projecting from the implement. With the stencil frame held in one hand and the implement and its contained panel in the other, the pointed end of the implement is entered in the cross passage of the cardboard frame and under slight pressure forced through the same, cutting away or breaking through any obstructions met with therein. The implement is made slightly donger than the cross passage, so that the pointed end thereof projects beyond the stencil frame when the implement is fully inserted in the passage. By now taking the pointed end between the thumb and finger and drawing the implement further through the passage, the end of the panel will be brought flush with the opposite side of the stencil frame, where it may be held by pinching the stencil frame at that point between the thumb and iinger of the other hand, while the implement is withdrawn, leaving the panel in position, with the stencilled name and address appearing through the window of the frame, ready for use. Once the passage has been cleared by the implement, back and forth adjust-I ment of the panel therein, or its removal or replacement, is readily accomplishedV without difficulty or the further use of the implement.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A stencil panel and a laminated carrying frame therefor formed of two connected layersv of suitable material windowed to expose the stencil panel, the said two layers of material throughout a limited area intermediate their ends being separable by forced entrance of the stencil panel between the same to provide a i cross passage in line with the window in which the stencil panel is removably held, the said stencil panel being composed of a sheet metal frame faced with stencil tissue and of such reduced' gauge that the insertion of the stencil panel in the cross passage does not perceptibly increase the thickness of the stencil frame.

2. A stencil panel and laminated carrying frame, as defined in claim 1, in which the stencil panel is formed of a single piece of sheet metal Search Boom provided with a Window opening for the stencil and whose surface is otherwise unbroken and extends in a single plane.

3. Agstencil panel and laminated carrying frame, as defined in claim 1, in which the stencil frame is provided with a signal opening adapted to be closed by shifting the stencil panel in the passage.

4. A stencil panel and laminated carrying frame, as defined in claim l, in which the stencil frame is provided at opposite sides with edge signal notches adapted to be opened and closed by shifting the stencil panel in the passage.

5. A multiple panel stencil, one panel of which is marginally backed with sheet metal and a laminated carrying frame formed of two adhesively united layers of suitable material Windowed at different points to expose the stencil panels, the laminations of the frame being separable throughout a limited area within their length by forced entrance of the metal backed panel between the same to provide a passage in line with one of the Windows in which passage the said panel is removably held.

6. A metal framed stencil panel and a laminated carrying frame therefor formed of two adhesively united layers of suitable material windowed to expose the stencil panel, the laminations of the frame throughout a limited area intermediate their ends being separable and adapted to be wedged apart to provide a cross passage in line With the window in which the stencile panel is removably held.

7. A metal reinforced stencil panel and a laminated carrying frame therefor formed of 3.

two adhesively united layers of suitable material windowed to expose the stencil panel, the laminations of the frame throughout a limited area intermediate their ends being free of the adhesive and separable to provide a through cross passage in line with the window into which passage the stencil is adapted to be inserted and frictionally held in clamped relation between the frame laminations.

8. A stencil panel provided with a marginal backing of sheet metal to which it is adhesively attached and a laminated carrying frame therefor formed of two united layers of suitable material windowed to expose the stencil panel, the laminations of the frame throughout a limited area intermediate their ends being separable by forced entrance of the panel to provide a cross passage in line with the window in which passage the stencil panel is removably held in clamped relation by and between the frame laminations. v

9. The method of making metal insert panels for stencil frames, which consists in surface processing a sheet metal strip of shim-like stock,

forming successive panel openings therein suitably spaced apart, permanently bonding a facing sheet of stencilizable tissue to the processed surface on one side of the sheet metal strip and dividing the strip in sections each containing a Y tissue-covered panel opening.

10. The method of clearing a passage and removably entering a stencil panel between the layers of a laminated windowed carrying frame, which consists in temporarily reinforcing the panel for use as a wedge, inserting the reinforced panel by forced entrance between the frame layers to separate them and form a through passage in the windowed area in line with the window extending from one side to the opposite side of the frame, then removing the panel reinforcement and leaving the panel positioned in the frame and exposed through the window thereof.

HARMON P. ELLIOTT. 

